the hero’s journey in paris (4)

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The Hero’s Journey in Paris (4) By Peter de Kuster Your Hero’s Journey! Life is not an accident. A coincidence. Through careful choices and persistent planning, you can control what happens to you. That sounds boring, doesn’t it? It’s not. We are talking about your future. Your hero’s journey! The best way to deal with the future is to invent it. Create your own life story. Your own legend. If you live your life wandering around aimlessly, you’re likely to end up in a sort of hell of Dante as visualized by Rodin. If you live you life bouncing around, reacting to events and circumstances, you’re giving up control over where you will go next. This is a hell of a way to live – it’s stressful and frustrating, and not creative at all.

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Page 1: The Hero’s Journey in Paris (4)

The  Hero’s  Journey  in  Paris  (4)  By  Peter  de  Kuster      Your  Hero’s  Journey!      

   Life  is  not  an  accident.  A  coincidence.  Through  careful  choices  and  persistent  planning,  you  can  control  what  happens  to  you.  That  sounds  boring,  doesn’t  it?  It’s  not.  We  are  talking  about  your  future.  Your  hero’s  journey!  The  best  way  to  deal  with  the  future  is  to  invent  it.  Create    your  own  life  story.  Your  own  legend.    If  you  live  your  life  wandering  around  aimlessly,  you’re  likely  to  end  up  in  a  sort  of  hell  of  Dante  as  visualized  by  Rodin.  If  you  live  you  life  bouncing  around,  reacting  to  events  and  circumstances,  you’re  giving  up  control  over  where  you  will  go  next.  This  is  a  hell  of  a  way  to  live  –  it’s  stressful  and  frustrating,  and  not  creative  at  all.      

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I  believe  that  each  of  us  comes  prepackaged  with  a  reason  for  being,  a  hero’s  journey.  A  mission.  A  purpose.  Unfortunately,  there  is  no  operating  manual  or  help  line  to  make  it  easy  to  figure  out  what  that  purpose  is.  Once  you  figure  out  what  your  hero’s  journey  story  is,  however,  life  is  sooo  much  easier  and  better.  It  means  that  you  are  living  on  purpose.  This  translates  in  doing  the  right  work,  in  the  right  environment,  with  the  right  people  and  using  your  talents  and  abilities  in  a  way  that  benefits  others  as  well  as  yourself.      This  purpose  covers  every  aspect  of  your  life,  including  having  people  to  love  and  who  care  about  you  (but  that’s  another  travel  guide).      

                     

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You  need  a  powerful  story  as  a  compass  to  navigate  by.  To  aim  for  (your  hero’s  journey).    A  storyline,  a  travel  map  so  you  can  plot  out  the  best  (and  even  most  scenic  route,  if  that  turns  you  on)  to  get  where  you’re  going  (your  goals).  You  can  get  blown  off  course  and  explore  new  cities,  meet  interesting  people  but  you  always  have  that  hero’s  journey  story  to  guide  you  back.  That’s  what  your  hero’s  journey  does  for  you.    

   Make  Money  Doing  What  You  Love  ‘Follow  your  bliss”  –  Joseph  Campbell    When  you  aren’t  sure  about  what  you  should  be  doing  with  your  life,  it  can  feel  like  you’re  in  free  fall.  For  some  the  rush  of  hurtling  to  the  ground  is  exhilirating.  Some  don’t  even  seem  to  realize  that  they  don’t  have  anything  (a  parachute)  to  stop  them  from  hitting  the  ground.      In  the  beginning  it  can  be  exciting  to  go  through  life  without  a  plan,  a  purpose,  a  story.    Many  romantic  tales  have  been  spun  about  the  vagabond  life.  Just  remember  that  these  stories  are  written  by  people  who  disciplined  themselves  just  enough  to  put  pen  to  paper,  and  enough  to  sell  their  stories  or  art.      Being  in  control  of  your  story  means  knowing  what  you  want  and  working  toward  it.  It  means  waking  up  every  morning  saying:  “I’ve  got  the  best  job  in  the  world.  I  absolutely  love  what  I  do.”.  If  you  can  say  that,  everything  else  in  your  life  will  fall  into  place.    Some  people  know  early  on  what  they  want.  They’re  the  lucky  ones.  Most  of  us  struggle  for  a  while  before  we  find  our  niche.  That’s  okay.  Enjoy  the  journey.  Consider  it  a  voyage  of  discovery  with  treasures  on  your  way.  Self  –  knowledge  is  a  wonderful  thing.    

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How  to  Find  Yourself  When  You  Didn’t  Know  You  Were  Lost      Before  you  can  figure  out  your  niche  in  the  creative  scheme  of  things,    you  need  to  understand  yourself,  your  strenghts  and  weaknesses,  your  true  desires,  your  personal  definition  of  success.  The  following  questions  are  designed  to  make  you  THINK  about  yourself  from  various  angles.  Answer  them  quickly.  Put  down  the  first  thing  that  pops  into  your  mind  (before  your  left  brain  has  a  chance  to  butt  in).  Don’t  analyze  either  the  questions  or  the  answers.  Be  honest  –  nobody  has  to  see  this  but  you.  Now:  quick  and  dirty:      

     Personal    

• What  is  your  favorite  time  of  year?  • What  is  your  favorite  hobby?  • What  is  your  favorite  getaway  spot?  When  was  the  last  time  you  went  there?  

• What  social  settings  bring  out  the  best  in  you?  Worst  in  you?  

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• What  is  your  best  personality  trait?  Worst?  How  would  your  spouse/partner/best  friend  answer  that?  

• What  one  thing  would  you  most  like  to  change  about  your  personality?  

• Are  you  a  country  person  or  a  city  person?  Do  you  like  more  a  ladiback  lifestyle  of  one  that  is  frantic  and  fast  –  paced?  

• Are  you  more  comfortable  competing  against  others  or  against  yourself?  

• Which  is  more  you  –  safe  and  secure  or  reckless  and  risky?  • Which  would  you  rater  be  –  healthy  and  wealthy  or  healthy  and  wise?  

 

   Professional    

• Do  you  want  more  or  less  travel  in  your  work?  • Where  would  you  like  to  go?  Would  you  travel  by  land,  air,  sea?  • Would  you  like  to  do  more  or  less  public  speaking  in    your  work?  • How  much  money  as  an  annual  salary  would  make  you  feel  successful?  

• Do  you  prefer  to  work  with  your  hands  or  your  mind?  Indoors  or  outdoors?  With  people  or  with  things?    

• Which  is  more  challenging,  dealing  with  difficult  people  or  difficult  problems?  

• What  bores  you?  

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• What  would  you  eliminate  from  your  present  job  right  now  if  you  could?  

• Do  you  like  to  be  in  charge?  Or  do  you  prefer  to  be  the  power  behind  the  throne?  

• What  do  you  like  best  about  your  work?  • If  you  could  have  anyone’s  job  in  the  world  whose  would  it  be?  • What  is  the  most  undesirable  job  you  can  think  of?  

 

   

• When  do  you  prefer  to  work  –  morning,  noon,  or  night?  When  would  you  rather  not  work?  What  days  would  you  like  to  have  off?  What  would  be  an  ideal  work  schedule  for  you?  

• What  would  you  like  to  bring  to  work  that  you  can’t?  Kid?  Dog?  Movie?  

• Do  you  prefer  to  work  alone  or  in  a  group?  How  much  of  your  day  would  you  like  to  spend  dealing  with  people,  and  how  much  would  you  like  to  be  left  alone?  

• How  many  projects  can  you  handle  at  once?  • Do  you  prefer  stretches  where  you  work  like  crazy  and  then  take  a  break,  or  do  you  like  to  pace  yourself  and  limit  your  projects?  

• Which  best  describes  the  environment  you  would  prefer  to  work  in:  at  home,  in  a  lab,  in  a  book  church,  in  a  studio,  outside,  in  an  office,  on  the  road,  on  a  set,  in  a  studio,  in  a  tall  building,  in  front  of  an  office,  or  some  other  situation?  Big  city  or  small  town,  or  small  city/big  town?  

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   • Do  you  prefer  to  deal  in  concepts  or  projects?  Which  is  more  satisfying,  the  process  or  the  product?  

• List  jobs  you  think  you  would  enjoy  doing.  • List  jobs  you  think  you  could  not/and/or  would  not  do  

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• What  skills  do  you  like  to  use  the  most?  • What  task  or  talent  comes  easily  to  you?  • Name  something  that  is  always  a  struggle  to  do.  • What  type  of  people  do  you  enjoy  working  with  the  most?      

                             

• Do  you  prefer  to  work  at  a  fast  pace  or  to  pace  yourself?    • Do  you  like  every  day  to  be  different,  or  do  you  prefer  to  slip  into  a  consistent  and  comfortable  routine?    

• Which  motivates  you  more,  money  or  a  mission?    

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Your  Story    You  have  a  life  story  (if  you  pay  attention  to  it).    Take  a  look  at  the  story  of  your  life  thus  far.      

                                 

• Write  your  life  story  from  beginning  to  end  (as  if  you  are  very  old  and  have  already  achieved  all  the  things  you  want  or  when  you  heard  today  you  will  die  for  80%  sure  and  regret  what  you  haven’t  experienced)  

• What  is  something  that  makes  you  say  to  yourself  (and  others),  ‘I’ll  never  do  that  again’    

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• List  five  heroic  stories  from  your  past.  And  five  tragic  stories.  Which  was  easier  to  complete?  

• Look  at  your  past  life  and  ask  yourself  these  questions.  What  do  I  wish  I  had  done  but  didn’t  do?  What  have  I  always  wanted  to  do  but  never  go  around  to  doing?    

• What  are  your  most  powerful  memories  from  childhood,  teenage  years  and  adulthood?  Take  a  close  look  at  the  three  memories.  What  do  they  have  in  common?  What  are  the  circumstances,  the  people  involved,  the  tasks  you  were  performing,  the  setting,  the  time  of  year?  

 

   

• List  your  most  rewarding  life  experiences  (paid  and  unpaid).  Are  you  still  engaging  in  these  activities?  If  not,  why  not?.  How  can  you  bring  these  things  back  into  your  life?  

• It  is  important  to  appreciate  all  the  things  you  have  and  all  the  things  you  are.  The  more  you  appreciate  all  the  things  you  have  going  on  for  you,  the  more  you  love  life.  Make  a  list  of  all  the  things  you  are  grateful  for  in  your  life.  Start  small:  your  health,  a  place  to  live,  a  car,  money  in  the  bank,  people  who  love  you.  

• Tell  a  story  about  yourself  in  a  perfect  day.  Put  in  as  much  detail  as  you  can.  Spend  some  time  and  thought  on  this  one.  Then  pin  it  to  

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where  you  see  it  often.  This  is  wheren  you  want  to  live  your  future  life.  This  is  the  story  about  where  you’re  going.  

• Tell  a  snapshot  story  of  your  life  today.  Do  you  like  what  you  do  for  a  living?  Are  you  happy?  Are  you  using  your  talents?  Are  you  able  to  create?  Do  you  enjoy  waking  up  on  weekly  mornings?  Is  it  good  to  be  home?  

• Do  you  have  enough  money?  Do  you  have  a  goal  for  the  future?    

     Enjoy  your  hero’s  journey!!